Agency Relationship Management

Optimal agency performance requires active engagement and partnership by you

Your agency relationship is just like any other relationship in your life – it must be actively nurtured to be meaningful and productive. Too often the dialog becomes one-way, from the client to the agency, and that’s if the relationship and issues are being addressed at all.

Fostering a healthy partnership requires more than just mutual candor – having effective and efficient processes as well as clearly defined scopes and expectations are other key ingredients. And periodically evaluating these tools as well as the overall relationship in action.

Whether your agency relationship is new or mature, we'll align you and your agencies for transformative results with a tailored approach to meet your unique needs.

Client - Agency Relationship Measurement Services

Our proprietary performance monitoring and measurement tools identify gaps in perceptions of the relationship between clients and their agencies that can lead to poor performance if left unaddressed.

Beyond the annual and semi-annual client-agency evaluations which tend to focus on service delivery, underlying causes of performance dysfunction is typically rooted in poor communication and misapplied or outdated engagement processes. Our various performance assessment tools are customizable to meet the requirements of your organization.

• Relationship / Performance Evaluations (fully or partially facilitated)
  • 90-degree (client of agency), 180-degree (client and agency of each other), 360-degree (client and agency of each other and self)
  • Annually, semi-annual or quarterly
  • Overall relationship assessment, key initiative assessment
  • Benchmark results
  • Identify synergy and gaps
  • Develop an Action Plan
  • Establish key performance indicators (KPI’s)
  • Periodic performance measurements against the Action Plan
• Agency Management Toolbox Optimization
  • SOW design, review and optimization
  • Agency comp and contract assessments / optimization
  • Agency staffing plan assessments / optimization
  • Agency roster modeling
• Integration + Process Assessments
  • Agency roster integration studies
  • Client-Agency process studies (e.g., engagement, workflow, etc.)
  • Client internal / cross-functional integration and workflow studies
  • Agency management best practices assessment and optimization

Media Investment Management + Compliance Services

Our team of media experts work with brands to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiencies of their media-related resources, as well as compliance with processes and obligations. We're knowledgeable in all media channels and platforms across all agency types, and always bring an agnostic approach to your assignment.

• Media Investment Analyses
  • Media Strategy, Plan and Buy Analyses
  • Media Optimization Strategy
  • Transparency, Ad-Fraud and Viewability Audits
  • Process and Regulatory Compliance Audits
  • Contract Compliance Audits
• Media Agency Management
  • Relationship Evaluations
  • Playbooks
  • Media Comp Modeling
  • Performance Modeling and Metrics
  • Modernize Media Contract Business Terms and Clauses
• Media Agency Search
• In-house Media Services
  • Design Media Team Functions, Processes and Playbooks
  • Platforms, Tools and Protocols Recommendations
  • Performance Metrics and Evaluation Criteria Development
  • Onboarding, Training and Coaching
  • Transparency, Ad-Fraud and Viewability Audits
  • Process and Regulatory Compliance Audits
• Agency compensation negotiations
• Incentive compensation matrix development and negotiations
• Agency contract analysis, optimization and negotiations

Agency Compensation + Contract Services

Fair and transparent agency compensation is critical to a productive relationship and achieving your marketing goals. Whether you're in marketing or procurement, we'll work with you to determine the optimal agency compensation methodology, assess agency compensation and staffing plan proposals, and negotiate a contract agreement that is based on your needs. And we'll assess whether your expectations and agencies fit your budget.

Whether an existing agency relationship or as part of an agency search, we provide a full range of services related to agency economics and contracting:

• Design compensation method (e.g., cost-plus, value-added, performance-based, etc.)
• Agency compensation benchmarking and assessment (qual. and quant.)
• Agency contract compliance assessments and audits – is your agency in compliance with contract terms?
• Agency staffing plan analysis
• Scope of work development (annual and project SOWs)
• Agency compensation negotiations
• Incentive compensation matrix development and negotiations
• Agency contract analysis, optimization and negotiations

Agency Roster Modeling & Optimization Services

Do you really know the annual cost of all your agency and marcom resources across the marketing organization? Or those engaged directly outside of marketing?

Is your roster model outdated?

More than likely you've used the same roster structure and don’t know the total expense beyond that of your lead agencies. With greater demand for marcom spend accountability and reduction of "below the line" expenses, coupled with an ever-changing agency landscape and service offerings, periodic review and optimization of your agency roster is critical.

Too many agency resources or the wrong roster model can burn both dollars and time in a variety of ways – service redundancies, integration challenges, variable rates charged, and more – and ultimately impact your marketing effectiveness.

We'll evaluate your real roster – contract and project agencies – against your business needs to determine the right mix of agencies and services, and at the right cost and compensation model.

Agency Management Best Practices Audit Services

Best practices exist for a reason – they optimize your internal and external resources as well as your budgets and ROI.

Often the lack of adherence to uniform processes leads to frustration between clients and their agencies as well as with internal constituents.  We provide a full range of auditing services that will identify your critical challenges and prioritize bespoke solutions:

• Strategic Agency Roster Alignment + Integration Assessments – how well are agencies working together and your teams role in managing the process
• Contract Management + SOW Development Assessments – e.g., gap/SWOT analysis for best practices compliance
• Agency Engagement Process Assessments – across the entire marcom spectrum or focus on a particular area, such as the agency brief creation and briefing process, production process, etc.
• Internal Alignment Assessments – can be internal within marketing teams or between marketing and other functional teams
• Marcom Resource Management Tools Assessments – e.g., process and best practices documents, central knowledge/asset repositories, on-boarding programs, etc.
• Custom Assessments – gain efficiencies and more impactful outcomes by assessing multiple inter-related areas simultaneously

Agency Search + Selection Management Services

Whether you need to expand your agency roster or replace an existing agency relationship, this is among the most important sourcing decisions marketers must make. As impartial, experienced and knowledgeable advisors, Bajkowski + Partners will work to provide the best agency solutions that meet both your selection criteria as well as fit your company's culture. More...